The Elements: A Very Short Introduction

The Elements: A Very Short Introduction

by Philip Ball
The Elements: A Very Short Introduction

The Elements: A Very Short Introduction

by Philip Ball

Paperback

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Overview

This Very Short Introduction is an exciting and non-traditional approach to understanding the terminology, properties, and classification of chemical elements. It traces the history and cultural impact of the elements on humankind, and examines why people have long sought to identify the substances around them. The book includes chapters on particular elements such as gold, iron, and oxygen, showing how they shaped culture and technology. Looking beyond the Periodic Table, the author examines our relationship with matter, from the uncomplicated vision of the Greek philosophers, who believed there were four elements—earth, air, fire, and water—to the work of modern-day scientists in creating elements such as hassium and meitnerium. Packed with anecdotes, The Elements is a highly engaging and entertaining exploration of the fundamental question: what is the world made from?

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780192840998
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Publication date: 10/07/2004
Series: Very Short Introductions
Pages: 186
Product dimensions: 6.90(w) x 4.36(h) x 0.45(d)
Lexile: 1240L (what's this?)

About the Author

Philip Ball is a science writer and a consultant editor for Nature and the author of Designing the Molecular World, The Self-Made Tapestry, H20: A Biography of Water, and Stories of the Invisible: A Guided Tour of Molecules.

Table of Contents

1. Aristotle's Quartet: The elements in antiquity
2. Revolution: How oxygen changed the world
3. Gold: The most desirable element
4. The Eightfold Path: Organizing the elements
5. The Atom Factories: Making new elements
6. The Chemical Brothers: Why isotopes are useful
7. For All Practical Purposes: Technologies of the elements
End notes
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